Chatto: “Pretty boy” of honesty, sincerity

To many of his friends, he is not just pretty boy. He is also a friend of everybody and therefore why should he be labeled a crook? This summarized the reaction of the friends of Cong. Edgar Chatto who was accused by former OIC governor Victor de la Serna of being a crook along with two other Bohol congressmen Roberto Cajes, and Eladio Jala. The friends of Chatto who cut across a wide section of society—from contractors to municipal mayors and barangay captains were one in praising the first district congressman as an epitome of honesty and sincerity.

The reactions in favor of Chatto's good behavior were aired last week during DYTR's morning program hosted by newsmen Boy Guingguing and Ted Ayeng. Other personalities not belonging to the same cross section of the citizentry like first highway District Engineer Celestino Adlaon, Ae Damalerio and former Antequera mayor Isabelito Tongco also said their respective pieces that they cannot believe what de la Serna was talking about. Although Damalerio and Tongco are connected with Chatto's district office, they were the first to rally behind their boss that he is not that bad as pictured by de la Serna. Saying that he almost fell off his seat when he heard over the airlanes de la Serna's tirades against his boss, Damalerio who is the congressman's political officer, said the lawyer's brickbat amounted to character assassination. In a rejoinder to Damalerio's repartee, de la Serna said that he has proofs that Chatto is guilty of wrongdoing in the prosecution of projects in his district like receiving kick backs from contractors. Visibly hurt by de la Serna's accusations, Damalerio took the cudgels for Chatto and challenged the crusading lawyer to show proof or evidence that indeed the congressman was on the take.

The political officer also challenged dela Serna to file a case in court if he really has the goods against the congressman. Tongco, for his part, described de la Serna as like a broken record when he used the airlanes as the launching pad of his verbal attacks against the three congressmen. He also challenged de la Serna to file a case in court if he has the evidence. Told about this particular challenge, de la Serna said since the burden of proof was on Cong. Chatto he should be the one to file a case against him. Engr. Adlaon also contributed his two-cent worth of praise to Chatto's honesty and sincerity in public service. He said that for all his four years in office as district engineer of the first highway engineering district, he has not heard of any incident that Cong. Chatto asked his piece of the action in any road contracts in the district. Asked what role the congressman played in the prosecution of projects, Engr. Adlaon intimated that the congressman only requested for the listing of projects and its timetable. Adlaon's treatise in favor of Chatto was corroborated by Ismael Malagar, president of the Bohol Contractors Association. He said that as president of the contractors' group he is a living witness of Chatto's dealings with the BCA. At the same time, Malagar confided that when his company, Luym Construction, undertook an asphalt overlay project in Balilihan worth P12 million, he can say with utmost honesty that the congressman never asked a single centavo in SOP from the construction firm. It was gathered that all presidents of the Association of Barangay Captains in the entire first district has circulated a manifesto attesting to the honesty of Chatto in bringing projects to their respective barangays.

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